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Sprouting Artwork
Category:Biology in elementary schools Sprouting Artwork Student worthiness Brand new and untested. Primary biological content area covered This activity shows how seeds sprout. It demonstrates the idea that seeds protect the baby plant and provide it with everything it needs to start out in life. Materials *Lima beans *Water *18 new sponges (for 36 students paired up) * scissors (enough pairs for the students to share.) *Mustard seeds (enough for each group) *Plastic wrap *2 spray bottles *Rulers and/or stencils in a variety of simple shapes ( i.e. hearts, triangles, circles, squares) *18 paper plates *pencils *markers Handouts Sprouting Artwork Today you will be making a work of art using seeds! In a few days you will get to see these seeds sprout and grow, and after a few weeks, you will be able to taste your plants and use them to spice up your food! Here’s what to do: #Pick your favorite shape and use either a ruler or a stencil to help you draw that shape onto your sponge. #Use your scissors to carefully cut out your shape. #Soak your sponge in water and then squeeze it so that the extra water comes out (the sponge should be wet, but not soaked and dripping). #Place your sponge on your paper plate and sprinkle the mustard seeds on top of it. Try your best to make sure that the seeds are spread out evenly. #Cover your sponge with a piece of plastic wrap at night time, and uncover it the following morning. Keep it in a spot where the sun is sure to reach it. Be sure to spray your sponge with water (using the spray bottle) every day in order to keep it moist. #Pay attention to your plant! You will notice that changes will happen over the next couple of weeks. After a few days your seeds should sprout, and within about 12 days, your little garden should be growing well. You will then be able to smell and taste your plants. *You should also include a handout showing the inside of a seed with the parts labeled. Description of activity This activity will allow students to see that seeds don't need soil to sprout. After looking at the inside of a lima bean and learning the different parts of the seed, they will grow their own little garden of mini-mustard plants in any shape that they want by using a sponge as the base. After the seeds sprout, they will be able to care for them. They will be able to taste their plants and even use them to spice up food. Lesson plan #The day prior to the lab, teachers should soak lima beans in water so that they are ready at the time of the activity. #Once it is time for the activity, teachers will explain the basic structure of a seed. They should then pass out a diagram with the parts of a seed labeled. After doing this, take one or two of the soaked lima beans, and split it length-wise using a knife or a pair of scissors. Then ask the students to point out the different parts of the bean on their diagram. #The teacher should then pass out the instructions for the activity (These can be found in the "handouts" section of this wiki). They should then observe the students performing this activity and provide aid when needed. #Once finished, the teacher should explain to students that the seed has a limited amount of food,and therefore the plants will probably not live longer than a month. They should use this opportunity to explain how all organisms need energy to survive: Ask how they could keep the plants alive longer; ask where different types of organisms get their food/energy; ask what would happen if that energy source was taken away, and use this opportunity to show how organisms rely on one another. #Have the students wrap their sponges in plastic wrap, and label them by writing their names in marker on the paper plate. This way it will be easy to tell which is theirs to prepare for transport home. #Have students prepare the materials to bring back to any student(s) who were absent. #Make sure all students actively participate in the clean up. Potential pitfalls If students are not attentive to keeping the sponge moist, the seeds will not sprout properly. NOTE: Be sure that the plants get enough sunlight. Mustard seeds may not be available at the time of your experiment; you may need to improvise by providing other seeds that sprout quickly and are edible. Math connections If the teacher wishes, they can incorporate geometry into the lesson. The students can review the qualities of the shapes they choose. For example, if they choose a square, they can make sure that their sponge shape has four equal sides and four right angles. Literature connections From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons How a Seed Grows by Helene J. Jordan Connections to educational standards This section is used to help teachers track and document the educational standards that the activity meets. S:4- students demonstrate their ability to conduct experiments S:30- students demonstrate their understanding of structure and function S:34- students demonstrate their understanding of energy flow in an ecosystem Next steps Students will be able to apply their knowledge in a variety of situations in the future. They can continue caring for their plants, and use their senses to observe them as they grow. Also, students should be able to relate their knowledge to themselves; for example, they should realize that if plants didn't get what they needed to grow, then we wouldn't either. Citations and links This idea was adapted from: Hirschfeld, Robert, Susan Milord, and Nancy White. The Kid's Big Book of Science and Nature. Charlotte, Vermont: Williamson Publishing, 1995.